Multi-purpose cutting tool

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises a cutting tool having a head with a pair of handles projecting from the rear of the head and a pair of jaws projecting from the forward end of the head. One of the handles is pivoted toward the other handle to move one of the jaws rectlinearly and at an angle rearwardly toward the other jaw for cutting material therebetween.

United States Patent 1191 Burdick 1 Sept. 4, 1973 [S4] MULTl-PURPOSE CUTTING TOOL 470,586 3/1892 Morgan 30/242 [76] Inventor: Eugene A. Burdick, PO. Box 757, FOREIGN ENT 0 ppuc o s 13,146 6/1913 Great Britain 30/241 22 Filed; July 2 1972 424,022 8/1947 Italy 30/243 [2]] Appl 275907 Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr.

Related {1.8. Application Data Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 32,920, June 5, 1970, Attorney-Robert Kleve abandoned. I 57 ABSTRACT [52] 11.8. CI. 30/181, 30/185 [51] Int. Cl B26b 17/02 The mventlon comprises a c'mmg tool havmg a head [58] Field of Search 30/180, 182, 183, with a P of handles Projecting from e rear of the 330/184, 185, 241, 242 243 181, 238 head and a pair ofjaws projecting from the forward end of the head. One of the handles is pivoted toward the [56] References Cited other handle to move one of the jaws rectlinearly and UNITED STATES PATENTS at an angle rearwardly toward the other jaw for cutting material therebetween. 2,184,332 12/1939 Bernay 30/243 2,763,926 9/1956 Pate 30/241 X 5 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures Patented Sept. 4, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Eugene A. Burd ick ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 4, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Eugene A. Burdick ATTORNEY MULTI-PURPOSE CUTTING TOOL This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 43,920, filed June 5, 1970, now abandoned.

The invention relates to tools, more particularly, the invention relates to tools having jaws with a jaw moving toward the other jaw to engage surfaces therebetween.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel tool having a movable jaw which moves at an angle toward an opposing jaw.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel tool having a head with a pair of jaws projecting from the forward end of the head and a pair of handles projecting from the rearward end of the jaw with the movement of one of the handles moving one of the jaws rearwardly at an andle toward the other jaw.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel cutting tool having a pair of jaws projecting from one end of the tool and handles for moving one of the jaws at an angle toward the other jaw for a slicing cutting action.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the novel cutting tool invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the head of the cutting tool invention, with the one jaw moved to a closed position in relation to the other jaw, and with the side corner of the head of the tool removed.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the cutting tool invention.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the first form of the movable jaw, shown detached from the head of the tool invention.

FIG. 4A is a side elevational view of the first form of anvil, which operates with the first form of movable jaw, and with the anvil shown detached from the head of the tool invention.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the head of the tool invention, with the left side cover of the head, movable jaw, anvil, and coil spring removed from the head of the tool invention.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the cutting tool invention.

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the first form of movable jaw and the first form of anvil.

FIG. 8 is an exploded top view of the cutting tool invention.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of second form of movable jaw and anvil.

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the second form of movable jaw and anvil.

FIG. I] is a side elevational view of the head of the cutting tool invention, with the third form of movable jaw and anvil shown numbered therein.

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the third form of movable jaw and anvil.

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the third form of movable jaw and anvil.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the rear of the head of the cutting tool invention, showing a modified form of handle having a ratchet type mechanism for moving the jaw toward the anvil.

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary top elevational view of the ratchet type handle of the cutting tool invention taken along line 15-45 of FIG. l4.

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the ratchet type handle for the cutting tool invention.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 14, of the pawl mechanism for the handle.

FIG. 19- is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 14, of the slidable pawl mechanism for releasing the movable jaw.

FIG. 20 is a front elevational view of a fourth modified form of anvil.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a cutting tool having a head with a pair of handles projecting from the rearward end of the head, and a pair of jaws projecting from the forward end of the head, with one of the handles being movable toward the other handle to move one of the jaws rearwardly at an angle toward the other aw.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in FIG. 1 and 2, the cutting tool invention 20 is illustrated having a circular head portion 21, with a movable jaw 22 projecting from the forward end of the head, and a jaw or anvil fixed to the head and projecting from the forward end 21 of the head.

A handle 24 is fixed to the rear 21" of the head and projects rearwardly and a movable handle 25 is pivotally mounted to the heat and also projects rearwardly from the head 21.

The head 21 of the cutting tool invention has a pair of side plates 26 and 27, each of which have an identical outside contours of a generally oval shape with a V- shaped cut out 28 and 28' at the forward end.

The cover plate 26 has a projection ledge portion 29 formed integrally with the plate 26 along its top which projects across the middle of the head and abuts the inner face of the cover plate 27.

The cover plate 26 also has a projecting ridge portion 30 along the bottom and projection ledge portion 31 formed integrally with the cover plate 26 and with the ridge 30, the portion 31 also forms the inner end of the handle 24 which handle is thereby fixed to and formed integrally with the cover plate 26. The fixed handle 24 projects rearwardly and downwardly from the head 21 with an outer end 24.

The movable handle 25 is pivotally mounted to the head 21 at its pivoted axis 32. The handle has a cylindrical pin 33 fixed thereto which provides the pivotal mounting for the handle 25, by the outer ends of the pin 33 projecting into mating cylindrical sockets 33' and 33" in the cover plates 26 and! 27, respectively are rotatedly mounted therein. The handle 25 has a toothed gear segament or portion 34 along its lower inner end, which engages and drives toothed gears 35 and 36. The toothed gears 35 and 36, in turn engage the toothed gear rack portion 37 in the rearward edge of the movable jaw .22 to move the jaw in a straight line along a path indicated by arrows 318, which path moves the movable jaw 22'at an angle toward the fixed jaw or anvil 23.

The movable jaw 22 has a pair of rectangular lugs 39 and 40 which are press fitted into two rectangular holes 41 and 42 in the jaw 22. The lugs 39 and 40 each have four rounded outer comers 43. The cover plates 26 and 27 each have elongated slots or guideways 44 and 45. The slots or guideways 44 and 45 have a cross-sectional V shape which complements or mates with the projecting lugs 39 and 40, respectively so that the jaw 22 may slide along the path of the guideway slots 44 and 45, and the guideways act to thereby guide the jaw 22 in its movement. The lugs 39 and 40 also serve as bearing surfaces for the movable jaw 22, in its rectlinear sliding movement along the guideways or slots 44 and 45, by the lugs sliding in the slots 44 and 45.

A coil spring 46 is positioned in the head 21, in the area provided by the slots 44 and 45. The lower end 46' of the spring 46 abuts the ridge 30 on the head and the upper end 46" of the spring engages the jaw 22, in the slots 47, in the bottom of the jaw 22, and urges the jaw upward to maintain it in its position shown in FIG. 1.

The jaw 22 has a pointed blade-like lower end 22', which engages against the anvil 23, in the elongated slot 48 in the anvil, while the jaw is moved to its position shown in FIG. 2, for the cutting action.

The anvil 23 has an enlarged upper portion 49, which covers the top edges 50 and 51 of the cover plates 26 and 27, respectively in the V-shaped cut out portion 28 and 28 of the cover plates 26 and 27 respectively.

The jaw and anvil 22 and 23, illustrated in FIG. l-8 are removable from the head 21 of the tool, by removing the screws 52, 53, and 54, whereupon the cover 27 lifts off the head and the jaw 22 and anvil or jaw 23 may now be freely lifted out of the cover plate 26.

The anvil 23 has a pair of alignment pins 55 and 55' which project from the lower central plate portion 56 of the anvil 23. The pin 55 and 55' are aligned axially with each other and acts to align the anvil in the head, by slidably fitting into mating holes 57 and 57 in the cover plates 26 and 27, respectively. The projecting ridge portion 31 of the cover 26 also has an alignment pin 58 which fits into a mating bore 58 in the cover plate 27 to align the plate 26 and 27 together.

The screw 52 passes through a smooth bore 52' in the cover plate 27 and a smooth bore 52" in the central plate portion 56 in the anvil is threaded into a threaded bore 52" in the cover plate 26.

The screw 53 passes through a smooth bore 53' in the cover plate 27 and is threaded into a threaded bore 53" in the projecting ridge portion 29 of the cover plate 26. Similarly, screw 54 passes through a smooth bore 54 in the cover plate 27 and is threaded into a threaded bore 54" in the projection 31 of the cover plate 26.

A slidable stop is slidably mounted to the cover plate 27 to lock the jaw 22 in its closed position. The stop has a rectangular metal block portion 59, with teeth 60 along one edge. A flat, rigid strap portion 61 has one end fixed to the block portion and the other end fixed to a button member 62 on the outside of the cover plate 27, with the intermediate portion 61 passing through a slot 63 in the cover plate 27. By moving the button member 62 downward and to the left when viewed from FIG. I, the strap 61 connected thereto slides in the slot 63 in the cover plate 27 and moves the block member 59 in the same direction until the teeth 60 engage the teeth 37 on the jaw to thereby lock the jaw in its particular position. By sliding the button, 67, and its connecting strap portion 61, and the block portion 59 back to its position shown in FIG. 1, the jaw is again unlocked.

OPERATION The cutting tool invention 20, illustrated in FIGS. l-8 inclusive, employs the movable jaw 22 and anvil 23, and operates as follows:

The operator will place the material to be out between the movable jaw 22 and the anvil 23, when the tool is in its position shown in FIG. 1. The operator will then grasp the two handles 24 and 25 and compress them together, which pivots the handle 25 clockwise about the pin 33, when viewed from FIG. 1, moves the handle from its position shown in FIG. 1 to its position shown in FIG. 2 compressing the spring 46.

The clockwise pivotal movement of the handle 25 from its position shown in FIG. 1 to its position shown in FIG. 2, drives the gears 35 and 36 counter clockwise which in turn through their engagement with the tooth rack portion 37 in the movable jaw 22, drives and moves the movable jaw 22 rectlinearly along the path of the arrows 38 from its position shown in FIG. 1 to its position shown in FIG. 2, cutting the material therebetween, with a slicing cutting action, until the jaw engages the anvil in the slot 48, with lugs of the movable jaw 22 sliding in the guideways 44 and 45.

The movement of the jaw 22 being in a straight line at an angle to the anvil has more of a slicing action for improved cutting, with less crushing action than a jaw moving in a perpendicular path relative to the anvil.

The cutting tool, in addition to provide a slicing action, has a configuration which enables the tool to be slid forward easily into the material, after each cut to provide a more continuous cutting action, with less adjustment of the tool between cuts. Also the spring 46 is compressed by the cutting action and will urge the movable jaw 22 back to its position shown in FIG. I after each cut, which accelerates the cutting action.

Also the tool allows the user to obtain an inward rolling, cutting action when cutting round material such as tubing, by placing the material the desired rolling distance forward along the top of the anvil, and the cutting action will draw the cutting edge of the movable jaw inwardly toward the head and downward toward the anvil and against the material being cut.

Also the angle of the path of the movable jaw movement may be varied and the cutting edge of the blade may be canted in either direction if desired.

SECOND FORM OF JAW AND ANVIL A modified second form of jaw 64 and anvil 65, as illustrated in FIG. 9 and 10, inclusive, may be employed in lieu of or as a set with the jaw and anvil 22 and 23. The second form of jaw and anvil is interchangable in the head 21 of the tool with the first form of jaw and anvil, by merely removing the screws 52, 53, and 54, removing the cover plate 27, the removing the jaw 22 and anvil 23, and replacing them with the jaw and anvil 64 and 65 in their respective places.

The jaws 22 and 64 both have identical tail portions 66 to enable the jaws to be interchangably operated and the anvils 23 and 65 have identical conformation at their engagement points with the cover plates 27 and 26 to enable them to be interchanged.

The jaw 64 has a canted blade 67 at its lower outer end which is canted at an angle upward and forward along its lower edge 67, with respect to the top cutting edge 65" of the raised shelf like blade surface portion 65 of the anvil 65.

The blade 64 is of a chisel type and as the blade 64 moves downward in the cutting action with its lugs 39 and 40 sliding in the slots 44 and 45, a scissors like cutting action will be created as the blade or jaw 64 moves past the cutting edge 64" of the anvil, due to the canting of the blade.

Since, as the blade 64 moves past the cutting edge 65", it cuts the material therebetween only at one point at a time thereby providing an easier cut than when the parallel blade 22, wherein all the material for the length of the blade is cut at one time when the blade engages the anvil.

The second form of jaw 64 also has a tooth rack portion 37 for the gears 35 and 36 to engage and drive, and the notch 47 for the coil spring 46 to engage the jaw for operating the jaw by the handle 25.

THIRD MODIFIED FORM OF JAW AND ANVIL The third modified form of jaw 68 and anvil 70 is illustrated in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, inclusive. The third modified jaw 68 has a square lower blade portion 68' with a flat bottom 69. The anvil 70 has a square notch 71 along its length for the square blade 68' to engage therein for cutting a strip out of the material inserted between the jaw and anvil.

The anvil 70 has a slotted opening 72 which communicates with the notch 71 at its upper end 72 and opens out of the bottom of the head 21, at its lower end 72", so that the strip cut out, by the square blade 68' engaging in the notch 71, may travel down into the opening 72 and out of the head 21 through the open lower end 72", rather than have the cut out strip bunch up.

The third form of jaw 68 has the same tail section 66 as the jaws 22 and 64, including the lugs 39 and 40, rack portion 37, and notch 47 so that the jaw 68 may be used interchangably as a set with the anvils 22 and 64.

The third form of jaw or anvil 70 has the same mounting configuration as the anvils 23 and 65, so that it may be used interchangably with the anvils 23 and 65 as a set. The anvil 70 has a lower portion 73 divided into two portions 73' and 73" and has an additional alignment pin 74 fixed to the portion 73" and aligning the one portion 73" of the anvil by projecting outward into alignment holes 75 and 75' in the cover plates 26 and 27 respectively. The anvils 23 and 65 may also have the additional alignment pin if desired as shown.

It is intended that the strip of material being cut, when employing the Third form of jaw 68 and anvil 70 will be sufficiently resilient or flexible so that the edges of the material adjacent the cut out strip may flex outward and past the outside of the cover plates of the head of the tool, as the tool moves along, cutting the material.

MODIFIED RATCHET TYPE HANDLE Themodified ratchet type pump handle 76, illustrated in FIGS. 14, 19, inclusive may be employed in lieu of the pivotal handle 25.

The ratchet type handle 76 is mounted to the tail 21" of the head 21 with the tail modified as illustrated in FIGS. 14 19, inclusive. The handle 77 of the modification will have the same general length and general angular starting position, as the handle 25 when the tool is in its position shown in FIG. 1.

The handle 77 has a yoke member 78 at its forward end, which yoke is formed of a pair of flat circular legs 79 and 80 which extend flush along the outside of the cover plates. A shaft 81 is rotatably mounted in bores 82, 82', 82" to 82" of the legs 79 and 80, and cover plates 26 and 27, so as to rotate free of the legs 79 and 80, and plates 26 and 27. A toothed gear 83 will be fixed axially on the shaft 81 between the cover plates 26 and 27 and free of the cover plates 26 and 27 the gear 83 will be drivably engaged with the gears 35 and 36 of the head 21, for operating the particular movable jaw of the jaw and anvil set being employed, as already described.

A second toothed gear 84 of a smaller size than gear 83 is also fixed axially to the shaft 81 and is free to rotate with the cylindrical recess 85 in the cover plate 27.

A pawl 86 is located within the recess 85 and is fixed to a shaft 87. The shaft 87 is pivotally mounted in the leg 79 and has a lever 88 fixed to its outer end, which lever extends laterally and vertically downward. A second lever 89 is pivotally mounted to the outside surface of leg 79 by a pin 90. The upper end 89' of the lever engages the lever 88 of shaft 87. A block 91 is fixed to the outer face of plate 27 and projects outward to engage the lever 89 when the handle 77 reaches its upper position shown in FIG. 14.

A coil spring 92 is located within the recess with one end attached to the forward end 86 of the pawl 86 and the other end is attached to a pin 93 which pin 93 is fixed to the inner face of the leg 79 and is located within the cylindrical recess. The coil spring 92 acts to urge the pawl 86 into engagement with gear 83, except when it has been pivoted outward to its position shown in FIG. 14, by the block 91 engaging the lever 89, which in turn pivots lever 88, which pivots the pawl out of engagement with gear 83.

A second cord spring 94 acts to pivot the upper end 89' of the lever 89 against a pin 95 by having one end attached to the upper end of lever 89 and the other end atached to pin 95, which pin is fixed to leg 79, except when the block 91 has pivoted the lever 89 to its position shown in FIG. 14.

The second pawl 96 is pivotally mounted to a cylindrical block 97 by a pin 98. The block 97 is slidably mounted upward and forward from its position shown in FIG. 14 to disengage the pawl 96 from the gear 83.

A button 99 has a rectangular shaft 100 fixed thereto which extends through an elongated slot 101 in plate 27 and is fixed to block 97, whereby moving the button 99 along the slot 101 in a direction upward and forward, moves the pawl 96 out of engagement with gear 83.

A coil spring 102 has one end attached to one end of the pawl 96 and the other end attached to a pin 183 or block 97 and urges the forward end 96' of the pawl into engagement with gear 83. A second pin 104 is also fixed to the block 97 and acts as a stop to pawl 96 to prevent over travel of the pawl 96.

A coil spring 105 has its one end attached to a pin 196 on leg 80 of handle 77 and the other end attached to a pin 107 or plate 26 and acts to urge the handle 77 upward to its position shown in FIG. 14.

When operating the ratchet type handle 77, the handle will be positioned slightly above its position shown in FIG. 14, with the leg 80 engaging a pin 188 projecting from the plate 26.

The operator will pivot the handle 77 downward a very short distance which will cause lever 89 to move away from block 91, and lever 89 will thereupon pivot counter-clockwise against pin 95, under the urging of coil spring 94 and whereupon the coil spring 92 will urge the pawl 86 into engagement with gear 84.

The pawl 86 will remain engaged in gear 84 for the rest of the downward stroke of handle 77, thus causing the handle, through the pawl 86, to rotate gear 84 and shaft 81, and gear 83 which rotates gears 35 and 36 thereby driving the movable jaw downward.

When the handle reaches the end of its downward stroke, the operator will release the handle and the coil spring 105 will cause it to pivot back up to its position slightly above its position shown in FIG. 14 with pawl 86 riding freely over the gear 84 on the return travel.

The second pawl 96 has been riding over gear 83 on the down stroke and has locked gear 83 against rotating lock counterclockwise, when the handle moves back up the gears 83, 84, 35, and 36 and the movable jaw will remain stationary. Consequently, the movable jaw will not move back when the handle pivots back up.

When the handle is stroked downward again, the pawl 86 will re-engage rotating gears 83 and 84, 35 and 36, thereby moving the jaw further down.

When the movable jaw has been ratcheted down by the downward stroke of the handle 77 until it reaches its completely closed position, and it is desired to return the movable jaw to its upward position as illustrated in FIG. 1, the operator will slide the button 99 upward and forward in slot 101, thereby sliding the block 97 and pawl 96 mounted on the back upward and forward out of engagement with gear 83.

The movement of pawl 96 out of engagement with gear 83, frees the movable jaw, gears 35, 36, 83, and 84 and shaft 81 and the jaw will move back to its open position under the urging of springs 46 and 105.

The handle 77 will pivot back counter clockwise with the movable jaw and gears 35, 36, 83 and 84, and shaft 81 until the handle reaches its position shown in FIG. 14, at which time the block 91 will engage the lever 89 pivoting the pawl 86 out of engagement with gear 83.

The disengagement of the pawl 86 frees the handle 77 from the movable jaw and gears, 35, 36, 83 and 84 and shaft 81. The handle will continue only a short distance further upward under the urging of spring 105, until the handle 77 engages the pin 108.

The movable jaw and gears 35, 36, 83 and 84 and shaft 81 will continue their rotation under the urging of the coil spring 46, until the jaw reaches its fully open poistion shownin FIG. I.

The fourth modified form of anvil 109 is illustrated in FIG. and may be employed with the jaw 22. The anvil 109 has the same side view configuration as the anvil 65 illustrated in FIG. 9. The modified jaw 109 has the same mounting pins 55 and 55' and bores as the anvil 65, with pins and bores being in the same locations as anvil 65, so that the jaw 109 is interchangable in the head 21. However, it has a uniformly tapered upper sides 110 and 111 from its front end to its rear 1 end, so as to form a blade like jaw with an upper cutting edge 112. The fourth modified anvil 109 may be employed with the movable jaw 22 in the head 21 and is particularly adaptable for cutting rods and bolts.

Thus it will be seen that a novel cutting tool invention has been provided, which provides a novel inward slicing action and operates for continuous cutting, and which has interchangable sets of anvils and jaws to provide various different types of cutting actions.

It will be obvious that various changes and departures may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof and accordingly it is not intended that the invention be limited to that specifically described in the specification but only as set forth in the appended claims wherein:

What is claimed is:

l. A cutting tool comprising a cutting head, a pair of elongated handles projecting rearward from the rear of said head, a blade at the forward end of said head having a point pointing forward, said blade having a generally horizontal cutting edge projecting downward, a jaw at the forward end of said head pointing forward with a working surface projecting upward for cutting engagement by said cutting edge, said blade and jaw lying in the same general horizontal plane as said head, said blade being slidably mounted to said head to move rearward and downward at an acute angle in relation to the working surface of said jaw along a sloping straight line path toward said jaw in response to one of said handles, said angle and slope of rearward and downward movement being sufficiently acute to provide an angle, intermediate 10 and which is sufficient to produce a material amount of lateral horizontal slicing action as well as a material amount of vertical cutting action in its movement toward said jaw.

2. A cutting tool comprising a cutting head, a pair of elongated handles projecting rearward from the rear of said head, a blade at the forward end of said head having a point pointing forward, said blade having a generally horizontal cutting edge projecting downward, a jaw at the forward end of said head pointing forward with a working surface projecting upward for cutting engagement by said cutting edge, said blade and jaw lying in the same general horizontal plane as said head, said blade being movably mounted relative to said head and jaw at an acute sloping angle centrally between zero degrees and ninety degrees relative to the jaw rearward and downward toward the jaw along a straight line path to thereby provide a major slicing action between the jaw and blade as the blade moves toward the jaw, one of said handles being movable relative to said head to actuate said blade movement, spring means urging said blade forward and upward in relation to said jaw, a ratcheting mechanism mounted to said head and releasably engagable between said blade and movable handle to ratchet said blade toward said jaw.

3. A cutting tool comprising a cutting head, a pair of elongated handles projecting rearward from the rear of said head, a blade at the forward end of said head having a point pointing forward, said blade having a generally horizontal cutting edge projecting downward, a jaw at the forward end of said head pointing forward with a working surface projecting upward for cutting engagement by said cutting edge, said blade and jaw lying in the same general horizontal plane as said head, said blade being movably mounted in said head at an acute sloping angle rearwardly and downwardly along a rectlinear straight line path toward the jaw, said angle of movement being sufficiently acute whereby the horizontal displacement of the blade is at least equal to a major portion of the total angular length of travel of the blade in its movement along its angular rectilinear path to thereby provide a major slicing action between the blade and jaw as the blade moves toward the jaw, one of said handles being movable relative to said head to actuate said blade movement, spring means urging said blade forward and upward in relation to said jaw, a ratcheting mechanism mounted to said head and releasably engagable between said blade and movable handle to ratchet said blade toward said jaw.

4. A cutting tool according to claim 15, wherein said head includes detachable cover means and said blade and jaw are detachably mounted in said head of said tool, whereby the blade and jaw may be detached and exchanged by the removal of said cover means.

5. A cutting tool comprising a cutting head, a pair of elongated handles projecting rearward from the rear of said head, a blade at the forward end of said head having a point pointing forward, said blade having a generally horizontal cutting edge projecting downward, a jaw at the forward end of said head pointing forward with a working surface projecting upward for cutting enblade and jaw.

is =i= k 

1. A cutting tool comprising a cutting head, a pair of elongated handles projecting rearward from the rear of said head, a blade at the forward end of said head having a point pointing forward, said blade having a generally horizontal cutting edge projecting downward, a jaw at the forward end of said head pointing forward with a working surface projecting upward for cutting engagement by said cutting edge, said blade and jaw lying in the same general horizontal plane as said head, said blade being slidably mounted to said head to move rearward and downward at an acute angle in relation to the working surface of said jaw along a sloping straight line path toward said jaw in response to one of said handles, said angle and slope of rearward and downward movement being sufficiently acute to provide an angle, intermediate 10* and 80*, which is sufficient to produce a material amount of lateral horizontal slicing action as well as a material amount of vertical cutting action in its movement toward said jaw.
 2. A cutting tool comprising a cutting head, a pair of elongated handles projecting rearward from the rear of said head, a blade at the forward end of said head having a point pointing forward, said blade having a generally horizontal cutting edge projecting downward, a jaw at the forward end of said head pointing forward with a working surface projecting upward for cutting engagement by said cutting edge, said blade and jaw lying in the same general horizontal plane as said head, said blade being movably mounted relative to said head and jaw at an acute sloping angle centrally between zero degrees and ninety degrees relative to the jaw rearward and downward toward the jaw along a straight line path to thereby provide a major slicing action between the jaw and blade as the blade moves toward the jaw, one of said handles being movable relative to said head to actuate said blade movement, spring means urging said blade forward and upward in relation to said jaw, a ratcheting mechanism mounted to said head and releasably engagable between said blade and movable handle to ratchet said blade toward said jaw.
 3. A cutting tool comprising a cutting head, a pair of elongated handles projecting rearward from the rear of said head, a blade at the forward end of said head having a point pointing forward, said blade having a generally horizontal cutting edge projecting downward, a jaw at the forward end of said head pointing forward with a working surface projecting upward for cutting engagement by said cutting edge, said blade and jaw lying in the same general horizontal plane as said head, said blade being movably mounted in said head at an acute sloping angle rearwardly and downwardly along a rectlinear straight line path toward the jaw, said angle of movement being sufficiently acute whereby the horizontal displacement of the blade is at least equal to a major portion of the total angular length of travel of the blade in its movement along its angular rectilinear path to thereby provide a major slicing action between the blade and jaw as the blade moves toward the jaw, one of said handles being movable relative to said head to actuate said blade movement, spring means urging said blade forward and upward in relation to said jaw, a ratcheting mechanism mounted to said head and releasably engagable between said blaDe and movable handle to ratchet said blade toward said jaw.
 4. A cutting tool according to claim 15, wherein said head includes detachable cover means and said blade and jaw are detachably mounted in said head of said tool, whereby the blade and jaw may be detached and exchanged by the removal of said cover means.
 5. A cutting tool comprising a cutting head, a pair of elongated handles projecting rearward from the rear of said head, a blade at the forward end of said head having a point pointing forward, said blade having a generally horizontal cutting edge projecting downward, a jaw at the forward end of said head pointing forward with a working surface projecting upward for cutting engagement by said cutting edge, said blade and jaw lying in the same general horizontal plane as said head, said blade being movably mounted in said head at an acute sloping angle rearwardly and downwardly along a rectilinear straight line path toward the jaw, said angle of rearward and downward movement being sufficiently acute whereby the amount of horizontal displacement of the blade is at least equal to a major portion of the total angular length of travel of the blade along , to thereby provide a major slicing action between the blade and jaw. 